Protests spread over Abrar's death, commuters suffer

The students continued the second day of protests on Wednesday demanding justice over the death of Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury, a student of Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) who was crushed under the wheels of one of the competing buses in the city on Tuesday.

The protests passed off on the day amid conflicting claims about continuation of the programme.

Although a section of the agitating students suspended their road safety movement for seven days, many others on Wednesday vowed to continue their demonstrations in the city until their demands were met.

Kawsar Habib, a student of North South University who has been leading the movement, announced on the day that they decided to stop the protest at 7:00 pm for the day and would start staging demonstrations around 10 am today (Thursday).

"We won't stop the movement though a section has announced to suspend the agitation for seven days," he said.

Several hundred students of the North South University, American International University, Independent University, Southeast University, United International University, several colleges and schools were staging demonstration in different parts of the city, including Pragati Sarani, demanding safe roads following the death of Abrar.

The agitators resumed the day's protest at around 9.30am at the entrance of Bashundhara residential area that spread later to the both sides of Pragati Sarani in front of Jamuna Future Park that halted usual vehicular movement.

On the day, expressing solidarity with the BUP students, others from universities, colleges and schools also joined the protesters and staged demo at different spots of the capital.

However, later in the day, a section of the agitators agreed to halt protests for a week after receiving assurances from Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam over their demands about road safety.

The decision came after a meeting at the mayor's office with a 10-member team of representatives of the agitators in the evening following the two days of protests.

After the meeting, Faisal Enayet, a student representative, told the media that another round of talks would be held at the mayor's office at 11 am on March 28.

"We will resume protests if we are not satisfied with the progress over our demands. Students all over the country will join the protest," he said.

Abrar, a first semester student of International Relations at BUP, was crossing the Pragati Sarani road in front of Jamuna Future Park at around 7:30am when he was crushed by one of the two racing buses of Shuprovat Paribahan.

Expressing solidarity with the protesters, several hundred students from Dhaka University blocked the Shahbagh intersection at around 11am that continued until 3:30pm on the day.

During the blockade, vehicular movement was partly halted throughout the day that had created long tailback on every side of the intersection, notably Shahbagh to Farmgate, Shahbagh to Science Laboratory and Shahbagh to Matsya Bhaban.

Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, the platform of quota reformists, led by DUCSU VP-elect Nurul Haque also expressed their solidarity with the protesters.

Students of East West University blocked the city's DIT road at the Rampura bridge point at around 12pm where the agitating students were seen checking documents and licences of drivers and vehicles.

A group of students from Jagannath University also blocked the street in front of their university that barred vehicular movement to Sadarghat Launch Terminal for few hours.

Students of American International University Bangladesh (AIUB), North South University (NSU), Independent University of Bangladesh (IUB) joined the BUP students demanding safer roads in the wake of Abrar's death.

The agitating students put forth eight-point demand during the agitation, including awarding death penalty to the bus driver in the shortest possible time, and cancelling the route permit of Suprovat Paribahan.

They also demanded setting up a bus-stand and an overbridge near the Bashundhara residential area gate, freeing transport sector from political influence, and scrutinising necessary papers of all buses every month.

Their other demands included banning all vehicles without fitness and all drivers without licence from the streets, issuing a government order requiring drivers to display their photographs and licence copies inside the bus, and monitoring traffic operations via installing CCTV cameras.

In another development on Wednesday, according to a news agency, the High Court ordered Shuprovat Paribahan to pay Tk 1.0 million within seven days in compensation to the family of Abrar.

The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam passed the order and a rule following a petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Ruhul Kuddus Kajal.

The rule asked why the continuing failure of the authorities to ensure safety of commuters on the streets should not be declared illegal and why the family of Abrar should not be given Tk 50 million in damages.

The eight defendants in the matter, including the home secretary, the road and bridges secretary, the director general of police, the BRTA and Shuprovat Paribahan were given four weeks to respond to the rule.

Abrar, 20, son of brig gen (retd) Arif Ahmed Chowdhury, was an active participant of previous protest demanding road safety which was organised throughout the country from July 29 to August 8, 2018 following killing of two students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College on Airport Road by a speedy bus.

The accident happened during the Traffic Week being observed by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to bring discipline on the streets.

However, a case was filed in connection with the death of Abrar on the day.

Brig Gen (retd) Arif Ahmed Chowdhury filed the case with the Gulshan Police Station on Tuesday night, said Assistant Sub-Inspector Enamul Haque.

At least six persons were killed in two accidents in Sirajganj and Gopalganj on Wednesday.

In Sirajganj three bus passengers were killed and 19 others injured following a head-on collision between two buses on Bangabandhu Bridge West Connecting Road at Soydabad in Sadar upazila on Wednesday afternoon.

In Gopalganj three motorcycle riders were killed after their vehicle was hit by a train at Bhennabari level crossing in the Sadar upazila early Wednesday.

According to bdnews24.com, the authorities have banned Suprobhat Paribahan and Jabale Noor Paribahan from operating buses in Dhaka following student protests triggered by road crashes.

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority or BRTA in a notice on Wednesday said no Suprobhat or Jabale Noor bus can travel on the streets of the capital until further notice.

The two transport companies have been asked to submit papers of all their buses and minibuses to the BRTA within three working days.

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